Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley
Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley
Petroselinum crispum
Biennial
An absolute staple in my gardens and in my kitchen. Parsley is so good for us too - giving us both culinary and medicinal benefits.
You can direct seed straight into garden beds or start in pots a good 6 weeks before the last frost. Give it time to germinate as it has a very hard seed coat. You can pre-soak the seeds before planting if you want.
The first year the plant will produce a leafy plant and the second year it will flower and produce the seed.
Pollinators love the umble flowers and if you let it drop seed, you will always have parsley. It is very hardy and will grow in any soil. In the greenhouse, the first year plants can get huge! Outside the second year flowers will grow to about 2-3'.
I consider parsley to be in the 'free food' category. Let it dance!